Wearable tech saw huge advances in 2015, so it’s only appropriate that in 2016 we’ll see a huge trend in this technology.

To date, wearable smart-devices have primarily seen application on the consumer side of the spectrum (and with a heavy focus on fitness tracking applications). But, some are noting that this tech segment has potentially huge implications within the enterprise arena, too. Read more

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2016: The Year of the Human Sensor Network.

The Human Sensor Network is a concept that we at CrowdComfort are passionate to explore. Imagine a world where buildings, and other spaces we occupy, become immediate conduits to capture the most powerful data on Earth: Human Sensory Experiences.

By building a network of “human sensors,” we can capture these experiences. With this data, people can directly influence occupant experience, and continue to make buildings better. We have discussed the ways to improve a human sensor, and how to improve the overall Human Sensor Network, but we need a medium to facilitate it; a processed way to input the experiences people have.

So in order to build a viable Human Sensor Network, let’s highlight the features that the necessary platform would need in order to fully capture sensory experiences: Read more

CrowdComfort is tremendously grateful for the support, enthusiasm, and results we’ve generated in 2015. It’s been a blockbuster year for us—in terms of getting to work with some of our country’s most influential companies—and we can’t wait to carry this success into 2016.

To this effect, we thought we’d share a brief, heartfelt explanation for why we think facility management is such an exciting space, and why we’re so proud of CrowdComfort to be a part of it:Read more

http://crowdcomfort.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/horizontal-logo-4.png00crowdcomforthttp://crowdcomfort.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/horizontal-logo-4.pngcrowdcomfort2015-12-31 17:22:092016-01-04 15:59:08CrowdComfort on 2016: New Year, Same Passion

As 2015 draws to a close, we’d like to take a moment and contemplate major movers in the year behind us:

Social Media —

Social media is an interesting case, as its dominance this year isn’t seen by any particular “leap” or “bound” (though we could cite Facebook’s staggering 1.55 billion monthly active users). Instead, it’s the subtle ways in whichseemingly everything we do has become social that warrants the industry’s inclusion on this list. Gone are the days when Facebook accounts were seen as a toy of the student, or as another fad to be weathered.Read more

There’s a good argument to be made for the fact that tech’s true value lies in its ability to save users time. Way back in 1440, for instance, the printing press unlocked an ability to produce multiple copies of manuscripts every week, rather than the previous 1-2 that might be produced by handwritten transcription each year. Then, in the 19th century, we saw even more leaps, with machine-powered transportation taking us further and faster than ever before. And today—in what is undoubtedly our greatest feat—we can see a piping hot chimichanga delivered to our home within minutes.

Our expectations for technology have evolved during this time, and—in recent years—have hit a peak, giving way to what many have dubbed “The Instant Gratification Economy.” Dan Primacy of Fortunedescribes the phenomenon well:

“As time becomes a more and more precious commodity — particularly with technology blurring many of our home/work lines of demarcation — it isn’t surprising that we continue to ask technology to take over some of our more mundane tasks (particularly if that technology creates new service jobs).Yes, there can be inherent value in doing things for yourself, but there also can be more value in spending 15 extra minutes in the office or playing with your kid or sleeping. Picking up your own dry-cleaning isn’t exactly the same as learning to fish.”

With the final days of the year now seeping away, we’ve been contemplative about the areas most affected by this revolution in 2015. Below are our top three trends to predict the “instant future” of the instant enterprise economy:Read more

In the past few months, we’ve dug pretty deeply into the current value (and importance) of “The Human Sensor Network™.” But, as the year comes to an end and we set our sights for 2016, there’s still plenty of reasons to believe that The Human Sensor has room to grow.

Now, for clarity, we’re not talking about“improving” human beings. Instead, we’re simply considering ways in which emerging technology might create a more seamless approach to understanding what tenants want and need from their facility. Below is our “wish list” for 2016 on how to improve the input from a Human Sensor:

In part two of our “Holiday Gift List” for Facility Managers, we’ll take a look at some of the security systems that could turn your building into a paradise, and make your the job for building professionals a whole lot easier.

You should treat yourself, as the holiday season is about you, as well as the property you manage. Let’s dive in.Read more

Earlier this year, Amazon unveiled a new way to order goods via its massive online storefront:The Dash Button.

The concept is pretty simple: each Dash Button is WiFi enabled and associated with a single SKU on Amazon’s website. By clicking the dash button, you’ll place an order for said item and should receive it in a day or two. While Dash Buttons can be customized for virtually any product, they’re currently being marketed primarily for home goods (such as detergent and razor blades).

As facility managers, we can’t help but think there might be strong future applications for applying this technology toward office supplies. Doing so would solve a few problems:

Busy workers would be less likely to “forget” when they’ve seen low inventory (they could click to order right away)

Facility managers / office managers would be able to crowdsource (at least portions) of their inventory needs

According to Fortune, Amazon has already resolved the market’s concern over “multiple orders” (which would almost certainly preclude its potential for office implementation):

“The simplicity of one-button tasks are appealing, although it could lead to a mess of packages ending up at people’s doors if Amazon doesn’t try to minimize waste on its end, by grouping shipments together when possible. People on Twitter seem mostly concerned about pets and small children playing with the Dash Buttons and ordering multiples of their Kraft Macaroni and Cheese boxes, although Amazon notes that if the button is pressed more than once, the order doesn’t go through on the second time, and you’ll get a smartphone notification about it.”

Of course, applications for the Dash Button would depend on the availability (and competitive pricing) of goods via Amazon. But, for inexpensive, basic needs—such as coffee, copier paper, etc.—some companies may be willing to enable purchases to decrease the probability of being understocked, and to make employees feel more “at home” in their own offices.

We’ll be interested to see if Amazon feels the same way we do, and if they release more “enterprise-minded” options in 2016! More importantly, we’ll be looking for other companies to begin building “open needs” WiFi buttons, which could be used for virtually any purpose. Indeed,some consumers have already begun “hacking” the dash button for pretty creative uses.

This is a classic example of the Instant Enterprise Economy, where modern technology coincides with the desire for instantaneous services. As tech consumers, the CrowdComfort team believes that even more examples will come to light in the near future!

What are you thinking about when it comes to the future of re-stocking? What other examples do you see of the “Instant Enterprise Economy?”

The past year has been a big one for tech. Rapid advancements in the world of technology spanned a number of different fields—from medicine, to space exploration, to consumer products like smartphones and tablets. As we look at 2016, there’s a great chance we’ll be seeing even more.

Here are our top predictions for “movers and shakers” in 2016:Read more

Over the last few weeks, the CrowdComfort team has been getting excited for an event called “Energy Bar,” held at our current incubator, Greentown Labs. While they hold several Energy Bars throughout the year, this was special for a variety of reasons, including that it was the last Energy Bar of 2015. We appreciate the support Greentown has provided us, and have our recap below.